Multiple SAPS officers arrested for sexual assault and rape allegations
Rape Allegations and sexual assault allegations are being investigated against SAPS members
Image: File
Several members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the Western Cape have been arrested in unrelated incidents involving allegations of sexual assault and rape.
In one of the incidents in Grassy Park, a police constable was arrested after allegedly attempting to rape a young female colleague while they were on duty. It is alleged that the male officer pulled the police vehicle off the road before attempting to rape the trainee.
Although no penetration occurred, the officer is accused of sexually assaulting and intimidating the victim during the incident.
The officer reportedly has a history of previous run-ins with the law.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that the constable was arrested and appeared in the Wynberg Magistrates’ Court on Friday, 13 March 2026. He was remanded in custody and is expected to return to court for a formal bail application.
In a separate matter, a sergeant stationed in Malmesbury is facing multiple charges linked to different incidents. The officer was initially arrested for the alleged rape of a 41-year-old woman in holding cells on Christmas Day. During court proceedings, he was granted bail.
However, shortly after his release, the same officer was rearrested following allegations that he attempted to sexually assault his attorney in Malmesbury, who subsequently opened a case against him.
Police spokesperson Captain FC Van Wyk confirmed that the same suspect is also facing a separate charge of sexual assault linked to an incident in Franschhoek. He was arrested in connection with that case on 10 February 2026 and appeared in the Franschhoek Magistrates’ Court on the same day, where he was released with a warning.
Van Wyk emphasised that the cases are not linked and involve different complainants. He added that the rape case in Malmesbury has been referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), while the sexual assault case in Franschhoek is being investigated by the Stellenbosch Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Unit. The officer was not suspended following his initial court appearance.
In another incident, a 58-year-old police officer was arrested in Worcester on allegations of sexually assaulting two minors. The officer appeared in the Worcester Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 10 March 2026, and the case was remanded to 16 March 2026.
Sergeant Twigg confirmed the arrest, stating that the circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation.
“Due to the sensitive nature of the incident this office will not be divulging further details,” he said.
Human rights activist Zona Morton criticised what she described as a pattern of systemic sexual violence within SAPS, as well as a lack of oversight.
“My plea is that SAPS management start acting proactively with extended programmes of awareness around sexual harassment in the workplace, as it starts there,” Morton said.
“As an activist and human rights defender, I am appalled at the lack of oversight into the pattern of systemic sexual violence perpetrated by members in uniform. We see the same pattern emerge with little or no consequences until it has escalated into a violent rape.”
Democratic Alliance (DA) spokesperson on police, Lisa-Maré Schickerling, said legislative gaps continue to allow officers accused of serious crimes to remain on duty while investigations drag on.
“Current gaps in the SAPS Act allow officers accused of serious offences to remain on duty, while disciplinary processes and IPID investigations are often delayed and findings not enforced,” she said.
Schickerling added that DNA backlogs and slow forensic turnaround times continue to undermine prosecutions in gender-based violence and child abuse cases.
She said proposed legislative reforms aim to introduce mandatory suspensions, enforce strict timelines for investigations, and compel full cooperation with IPID. The reforms would also strengthen and properly resource specialised units such as the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit.
“Together, these measures aim to close accountability gaps and strengthen the criminal justice response to crimes against women and children,” she said.